Price of cigarettes will NOT rise as Rishi Sunak leaves tobacco duty out of his 2021 Budget after hiking cost by 22p a pack in November
- Tobacco duty will rise in line with inflation, Treasury announced earlier today
- It follows an increase back in November that saw the cost of tobacco rise by 22p
- Tobacco duty was not mentioned during Mr Sunak’s speech to Parliament today
Cigarette prices will not rise as Rishi Sunak left tobacco duty out of his 2021 spring Budget.
Experts had predicted an increase of two per cent plus inflation to be announced, but that appears to have been scrapped.
Mr Sunak increased tobacco duty by two per cent at his Spending Review last November, adding 22 p to the price of the average pack.
Rishi Sunak has decided not to increase tobacco duty, after smokers endured two hikes last year. The Chancellor also cancelled planned increases in duty on beer, cider, wine and spirits
The Government’s Budget document, published today, fails to mention tobacco duty, and Mr Sunak did not mention it during his address to Parliament this afternoon.
Simon Clark from pro-smoking group Forest told MailOnline: ‘We weren’t expecting an increase as there were two last year.’
He told The Sun a rise would have been a ‘kick in the teeth,’ for smokers.
Pro-smoking group Forest said an increase would have been a ‘kick in the teeth,’ for smokers
The costs of the government’s response to coronavirus have racked up dramatically since Rishi Sunak delivered his first Budget last March
Covid-weary Brits received a boost today as Mr Sunak froze tax on booze and fuel.
The Chancellor cancelled planned increases in duty on beer, cider, wine and spirits for the second year in a row in today’s Budget.
The amount of tax on a tankful of petrol and diesel will also remain the same for the 10th year in a row.
Government borrowing is expected to be more than £355billion this financial year and is expected to stay high for years to come
The moves came after a year in which many pubs and restaurants have been forced to remain shuttered and the majority of Britons have been working from home.
Addressing the Commons today, Mr Sunak said: ”All alcohol duties frozen for the second year in a row – only the third time in two decades.
‘And right now, to keep the cost of living low, I’m not prepared to increase the cost of a tank of fuel. So the planned increase in fuel duty is also cancelled.’
The Office for National Statistics has said over the whole of 2020 the economy dived by 9.9 per cent – the worst annual performance since the Great Frost devastated Europe in 1709
Official numbers published last month showed state debt was above £2.1trillion in January